here's how the president put it to cbs news. >> so getting out of this town, spending more time with the american people, listening to them and also then being in a conversation with them about where do we go together as a country, i need to do a better job of that in my second term. >> better job of explaining? >> well, explaining, but also inspiring. >> reporter: wolf, when it comes to a deal on averting the fiscal cliff, negotiations are on deep freeze. from the white house's perspective, they're not going to budge until house republicans come around to the view that tax rates on the wealthiest have to go up. but you know house republicans don't want to agree to any kind of deal that includes that. so right now it's a blinking contest. of course, the white house thinks it's one they'll ultimately win, because in the new year tax rates automatically go up. >> and there could be a recession once again if we go into that fiscal cliff. how worried are officials over at the white house that the president will get a lot of blame for not showing enough leadership in forces a deal through